Heel attaching means



May 15, 1962 J. G. WRIGHT 3,034,130

HEEL ATTACHING MEANS Filed June '7, 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Fig.1??

INVENTOR. J'Ol/IV 6. I'VE/6H7 May 15, 1962 J. G. WRIGHT HEEL ATTACHING MEANS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June '7, 1960 INVENTOR.

JOHN G. WRIGHT W g/m United States Patent 3,034,130 HEEL ATTACHING MEANS John G. Wright, Atlanta, 62., assignor to The Auto-Sole: (Iompany, a corporation of Georgia Filed June 7, 1960, Ser. No. 34,530 Claims. (Cl. 11-635) This invention relates to apparatus for attaching heels to shoes, and more particularly to an apparatus of this sort that is arranged for use to exceptional advantage in shoe repair operations for attaching ladies heels to shoes.

Briefly described, the heel attaching apparatus of the present invention comprises an upstanding nailing head that is insertable within an inverted shoe at the heel portion thereof and dispiaceable downwardly against a yieldable bias for driving attaching fasteners upwardly into a heel for the shoe. A plunger means is provided for bearing downwardly on the heel and inverted shoe to effect displacement of the nailing head for driving the attaching fasteners, and provision is made for transferring the downward bearing pressure of the plunger means to the heel being attached through means that is arranged for conforming automatically to the contour of the heel; while the plunger means is arranged for actuation readily at substantial mechanical advantage in opposition to the yieldable bias of the nailing head and for additionally retracting efiortlessly and rapidly under the recovery force of this yieldable bias following a fastener driving displacement of the nailing head; all as described in further detail below in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective illustration of heel attaching means embodying the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a left side elevation corresponding generally to FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a front elevation corresponding generally to FIG. 1;

FIG. "4 is an enlarged plan detail of the upper end of the nailing head shown in FIGS. 1 to 3;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged bottom plan detail of the pressure foot incorporated in the plunger means of the heel attaching apparatus shown in FIGS. 1 to 3;

FIG. 6 is a top plan detail of the heel collar member provided for transferring the bearing pressure of the plunger means to a heel being attached as seen in FIG. 2;

FIG. 7 is an enlarged perspective View of the rocker element provided for alternative use in transferring the bearing pressure of the plunger means to a heel being attached; and

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary detail illustrating the alternative use of the FIG. 7 rocker element.

Referring now in detail to the drawings, and more particularly at first to FEGS. l, 2 and 3, the illustrated embodiment of the present invention comprises a frame structure it} that is suitably arranged for fastening at its base on a work bench, or for mounting on a lower frame work such as might be provided to serve as a supply cabinet if desired. The frame structure 10 is also preferably fitted with a plurality of fastener supply trays 12 so as to provide for maintaining supplies of the several different types of heel attaching fasteners likely to be needed conveniently accessible for use.

The base portion of the frame structure 10 is further formed with an enlarged boss 14 at which an upstanding nailing head is mounted as indicated generally by the reference numeral 16. This nailing head 16 comprises a vertical post member 13 that is fixed at its lower end in the frame structure boss 14 and that extends upwardly to have a tubular sleeve 2d slidably telescoped thereover. At the upper end of the tubular sleeve 20, a nailing head block 22 is fixed in place with fastener driving passageways 24 3,034,136 Patented May 15, 1962 extending therethrough for slidably accommodating driving pins 26 that bottom on the upper end of the previously mentioned post member 13. The nailing head block 22 is normally maintained in spaced relation above the up er end of the post member 13 by a biasing spring 28 that is seated within a central bore of the post member is, in which a stop rod 30 is also disposed in alignment with a threaded central bore in the nailing head block 22 having a set screw 32 arranged therein for adjustment to a predetermined spacing from the upper end of the stop rod 30* so as to limit the extent of downward displacement of the nailing head block 22 and tubular sleeve 2% on the post member 18.

As norma ly positioned by the biasing spring 23, the nailing head block 22 is spaced above the upper end of the vertical post member d8 sufiiciently so that the driving pins 25 are partially withdrawn by gravity from the fastener driving passageway-s 24 to allow heel attaching fasteners F to be placed therein above the driving pins 25, The fastener driving passageways 24 are inclined inwardly as they extend upwardly through the nailing head block 22 and the upper end of the post member 18 is shaped concavely so as to allow right angular bearing thereat of the driving pins 26 as angled by the inclination of the fastener driving passageways 24. The arrangement of the fastener driving passageways 24 is further illustrated in FIG. 4 as having a suitably spaced pattern in plan for distributing an adequate number of attaching fasteners F in the range of heel sizes and shapes encountered in ladies heels, some or all of the fastener driving passageways 24 used as needed.

The nailing head block 22 is aligned against turning on the post member 18 by means of an alignment key 34 mounted interiorly of the tubular sleeve 20 adjacent its lower end to ride within an alignment slot 36 formed therefor in the post member 18. The mounting screws 38 and 49 for securing the alignment key 3'4 on the tubular sleeve 2% are also employed to carry and position, respectively, a shoe positioning arm 42 that may be pivoted to an active shoe locating position as seen in HG. 2, or pivoted out of the way as seen in FIG. 3. When the positioning arm 42 is pivoted to its inactive FIG. 3 position, a stop button element 44 remains at the back of the nailing head 16 for hearing at the characteristically curved rearward shape of a shoe being handled and thereby aiding in positioning it on the nailing head for a heel attaching operation. Whether the positioning of the shoe is done with the positioning arm 42 in active or inactive position depends upon the relative location at which it is desired to have the attaching fasteners F inserted by the nailing head 16.

In order to provide for exerting downward bearing pressure on a heel H and invented shoe S carried by the nailing head 16 to effect displacement of the nailing head lld for driving the attaching fasteners F into the heel H, a plunger means is carried upwardly on the frame structure 10 as indicated generally by the reference numeral 46. This plunger means 46 comprises a pressure foot 48 having a shank 50 extending vertically upward therefrom through a positioning slideway formed in theframe structure It) at 52. The pressure foot shank 50 has rack teeth 54 formed at one side thereof which are engaged by a pinion shaft 56 journaled adjacently in the frame structure it) and carrying a gear 58 that engages a pinion 60 carried, with a retaining and shrouding washer 60', on a shaft 62 that is also journaled in the frame structure it with a hand wheel 64 fixed thereon.

The hand wheel 64 is of substantial diameter, and is geared through the pinion 60 gear 58 and pinion shaft 56 to engage the rack teeth 54 for operating the plunger means 46 at substantial mechanical advantage in relation to the opposing .7 force of the biasing spring 28 that normaliy positions the nailing head 16. The arrangement of the hand wheel 64 in this respect also results in providing a flywheel action, following a fastener driving displacement of the nailing head 16, by which the recovery force of the biasing spring 28 imparts a sufficient ward displacement of the nailing head 16 has been completed.

- To provide for transferring the bearing pressure of the plunger means 46 to an inverted heel H and shoe S disposed on the nailing head 16 for insertion of heel attaching fasteners F, the plunger means pressure foot 48 is arran ed to extend horizontally at the lower end of the shank member 5i) with a yoke shaped formation (as seen best in FIG. 5) having leg portions 66 for straddling the characteristic contour of a ladies high heel H in spaced relation; thepressure foot 48 being further beveled downwardly as indicated at 68 between the leg portions 66 of this yoke shaped formation, and the adjacent side face of the. shank member 53 being likewise beveled adjacent its lower end at 7o so as to avoid direct contact with the heel H by the plunger means 46. Additionally, the lower face of the pressure foot 48 is knurled as indicated at 72 so as to provide a gripping action against lateral slippage thereon as the plunger means bearing pressure is applied. a

In transferring this plunger means bearing pressure to a ladies high heel H in which attaching fasteners F are to be inserted, a heel collar 74 is provided for use in the manner illustrated in FIG. 2. This heel collar 74, as illustrated further in FIG. 6, is rectangular in outline with proportions suiting it to have the pressure foot 48 bear thereon, and is centrally apertured at '76 for seating on the heel H intermediate the inverted length thereof and at a horizontal position leveled by bearing of the pressure foot 48 thereon. For this purpose, the aperture '76 in the heel co1l-ar'74 is specially shaped to fit the contour of the heel H towards the larger attaching end thereof and is suitably fitted with a protective covering layer of felt or the like as indicated at 78 so as to avoid marring the heel H being attached by direct contact with the collar 74, which must be formed of a material having adequate structural strength, suitably cast aluminum, for performing its bearing pressure transfer function.

Alternatively, when ladies low heels H are to be dealt with, a rocker element 80 is employed according to the present invention for applying the plunger means bearing pressure as illustrated by FIGS. 7 and 8. The rocker element 80 provided for this purpose comprises a block member fitted with a pivotal wire bale 82 by which it 'may be hung on the extending leg portion 66 of the plunger means pressure foot 48 with an arcuate shape at 84 opposed to the bearing face of the pressure foot 48 and a lower plane surface 86 opposed to the extending end of the heel H so as to conform automatically to the disposition of the heel H in applying the plunger means bearing pressure at the end thereof 'as shown in FIG. 8.

In operation, when a heel H or H is to be attached to a shoe S 'or S, the heel is first positioned properly in relation to the shoe, preferably by being cemented initially in place, and then the shoe is placed on the nailing head 16 in inverted relation with the heel extending upwardly therefrom. If a ladies high heel H is being dealt with, a heel collar 74 is placed thereon and properly seated as this is done. 0n the other hand, if it is a ladies low heel H that is to be attached, a rocker element 80 is hung on the plunger means pressure foot 48. In placing the shoe S or S on the nailing head 16 the inner surface of the shoe at the heel portion thereof is positioned to bear squarely and firmly at the upper face of the nailing head 16, with the positioning arm 42 disposed in active or inactive position depending upon the location at which the attaching fasteners F need to be driven for the particular shape of heel being attached. After this preliminary positioning, the plunger means 46 is closed on the heel in place by manual rotation of the hand wheel 64 to lower the pressure foot 48 until it is brought to bear on the heel collar 74, or until the rocker element St) finds a bearing disposition at the upwardly extending end of a heel H; whereupon the heel attaching operation may be completed simply by continued rotation of the hand wheel 64, which may now be done with both hands because the shoe S or S and heel H or H wil be held firmly in place as the continued operation of the plunger means 16 from the hand wheel 64 causes downward displacement of the nailing head block 22 against the force of the biasing spring 23, and with suitable attaching fasteners R previously placed in the driving passageways 24, the driving pins 26 are forced upwardly to drive these fasteners F during downward displacement of the nailing head block 22.

This downward driving displacement of the trailing head 16 will continue until the set screw 32 in the nailing head block 22 bottoms on the stop rod 30, the adjustment of the set screw 32 being such as to allow complete driving and seating of the fasteners F without allowing eX- tension of the driving pins 26 unduly from the nailing head block 22. Bottoming of the nailing head 16 in the above described manner will accordingly signal completion of the heel attaching operation, and the hand wheel 64 can then be released to allow the recovery force of the biasing spring 28 to actuate the previously described flywheel action of the hand Wheel 64 so as to retract the plunger means 46 for removal of the shoe S or S with the heel H or H attached thereto, and to leave the apparatus in readiness for commencement of a succeeding heel attaching operation in the same way.

The present invention has been described in detail above for purposes of illustration only and is not in tended to be limited by this description or otherwise except as defined in the appended claims.

I claim: 7

1. Heel attaching means comprising an upstanding nailing head insertable within an inverted shoe at the heel portion thereof and displaceable downwardly against a yieldable bias for driving attaching fasteners upwardly into a heel for said shoe, and plunger means for hearing downwardly on said heel and inverted shoe to effect displacement of said nailing head for driving said attaching fasteners, said plunger means comprising a pressure foot, a shank extending upwardly from said pressure foot through a positioning slideway and having a rack formed at one side thereof, and a handwheel geared for operating said plunger means through said rack with substantial mechanical advantage in opposing the yieldable bias of said nailing head and resulting in rapid retraction of said plunger means by flywheel action of said handwheel under the force of said yieldable bias following a fastener driving displacement of said nailing head.

2. Heel attaching means as defined in claim 1 and further characterized in that means is interposed between said pressure foot and said heel for conforming automatically to the contour of said heel in transferring the bearing pressure of said plunger means thereto.

3. Heel attaching means as defined in claim 2 and further characterized in that said interposed means comprises a rocker element having an arcuate shape opposed to the bearing face of said pressure foot and a plane surface opposed to the extending end of said heel for seating thereat, said rocker element incorporating means by which it may be hung freely from said pressure foot for finding a proper seating at said heel end as said plunger means is moved to commence said nailing head displacement.

4. Heel attaching means as defined in claim 2 and fur ther characterized in that said interposed means cornprises a collar member apertured for seating on said heel intermediate the length thereof and at a horizontal position leveled by hearing of said pressure foot thereon.

5. Heel attaching means as defined in claim 1 and further characterized in that said pressure foot extends horizontally with a yoke shaped formation for straddling said heel in spaced relation, and a collar member is provided with an aperture shaped for seating on said heel intermediate the length thereof and at a horizontal position leveled by bearing of said pressure foot thereon.

6. Heel attaching means comprising a frame structure, an upstanding nailing head mounted on said frame structure, said nailing head being insertable within an inverted shoe at the heel portion thereof and displaceable downwardly against a yieldable bias for driving attaching fasteners upwardly into a heel for said shoe, and plunger means carried on said frame structure for bearing downwardly on said heel and inverted shoe to effect displacement of said nailing head for driving said attaching fasteners, said plunger means comprising a pressure foot, a shank extending upwardly from said pressure foot through a positioning slideway in said frame structure and having a rack formed at one side thereof, and a handwheel journaled on said frame structure and geared for operating said plunger means through said rack with substantial mechanical advantage in opposing the yieldable bias of said nailing head and resulting in rapid retraction of said plunger means by flywheel action of said handwheel under the force of said yieldable bias following a fastener driving displacement of said nailing head.

7. Means for applying pressure to a ladies high heel during attachment of said heel to a shoe, said means comprising a collar member apertured for seating on said heel intermediate the length thereof when inverted and for assuming a horizontal disposition in response to pressure applied at the top surface of said collar member.

8. Means for applying pressure to a ladies high heel during attachment of said heel to a shoe, saidmeans comprising a member arranged for supporting said shoe interiorly at the heel portion thereof with the shoe inverted and said heel extending upwardly therefrom, a horizontally disposed pressure foot having a yoke-shaped formation for straddling said heel in spaced relation, and a collar member apertured for seating on said heel inter-mediate the length thereof and for assuming a horizontal disposition as said pressure foot is brought to bear thereon.

9. Means for applying pressure to a ladies low heel during attachment of said heel to a shoe, said means comprising a member arranged for supporting said shoe interiorly at the heel portion thereof with the shoe inverted and said heel extending upwardly therefrom, a horizontally disposed pressure foot for exerting downward pressure in relation to said support member, and a rocker element having an arcuate shape opposed to the bearing face of said pressure foot and a plane surface opposed to the extending end of said heel for seating thereat, said rocker element incorporating means by which it may be hung freely from said pressure foot for finding a proper seating at said heel end as said pressure foot is moved to commence exerting said downward pressure.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,947,666 Thum Feb. 20, 1934 2,135,656 Brandt Nov. 8, 1938 2,144,143 Cool Jan. 17, 1939 2,881,439 Dell Apr. 14, 1959 FOREIGN PATENTS 377/1872 Great Britain Feb. 5, 1872 

